He was a native of Fethard, County Tipperary, son of Redmond Everard, head of a Catholic family which effectively owned the town of Fethard. He entered the Inner Temple in 1578 and was called to the Bar in 1590. In 1602 he was appointed justice of the Court of King's Bench (Ireland) and knighted. He went regularly on assize in Meath, Louth and Kilkenny.